Former hockey captain leads Olympic Day Run

HYDERABAD

Triple Olympian and former India hockey captain N. Mukesh Kumar led sporting celebrities for the Olympic Day Run organised at Gymkhana Ground here on Thursday.

The renowned right-winger of yesteryears, Mukesh, started the run by lighting the Olympic Day torch, which also saw many from the hockey fraternity, including officials and Hockey Hyderabad secretary K. Vidyasagar, attend it.

Speaking on the occasion, Mukesh, who is also the secretary of Telangana Hockey, promised to give fresh fillip to promoting hockey in particular and sports in general in the State.

Telangana Olympic Association and District Olympic Association of Hyderabad also organised the run at 11 centres in the city.

Sports Minister V. Srinivas Goud, SATS chairman A. Venkateshwar Reddy, Principal Secretary to government (Sports & Youth Affairs) Sandeep Kumar Sultania, TOA general secretary K. Jagdishwary Yadav, and TOA vice-president S.R. Premraj were among those who participated.

“Let me reiterate that the State government is committed to promoting sports in a big way. If you have seen how our Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao felicitated the newly-crowned world women’s boxing champion, Nikhat Zareen, and also gifted shooter Esha Singh, it is proof that if needed, the government is going all out to support athletes,” the Minister said.

“We will soon come out with a new sports policy which should take care of the needs and aspirations of the entire sports fraternity in the State,” he said.